Where In The World | February 2018

The foggiest place in the world.

Grand Banks, Newfoundland, Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador comprise a province in Canada. Labrador is the larger mainland section in the northeast of Canada. Newfoundland is a large island off the coast. The sea and its currents play a huge role in daily life for the people who live in these areas. One of the major industries in the area is fishing. The mixing cold Labrador Current, warm Gulf Stream and shape of the sea floor in the area stir up a lot of nutrients in the waters, and so marine life is plentiful. These same currents also make Grand Banks the foggiest place in the world, especially in the spring when the weather gets warm. This fog is a spectacular and eerie sight, but it also makes fishing and driving dangerous.

Newfoundland was given its name when it was discovered by explorers in the 15th century.

The official discovery of Newfoundland is credited to John Cabot in 1947.

French, Basque and English fishermen were all drawn to the area for the plentiful fishing.

This area became a Canadian province in 1949, making it the youngest of the 10 provinces.

Labrador is in the most northeasterly part of the North American continent.

A narrow band of sea called the Strait of Belle Isle separates the two pieces of land Newfoundland and Labrador.

For many years, this area was known for being the richest fishing area in the world. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was the most important international fishing area in the world. The majority of the fishing was focused on cod. Fishing in the harsh cold waters was dangerous, but the fishermen made a lot of money.

Unfortunately, the fishing industry in Newfoundland turned into a warning about overfishing. The cod populations were overfished, and the fish almost disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s. The northern cod was declared endangered, and for a few years, all fishing was banned. Fisheries were forced to close, and thousands of people lost their jobs. It turned into an economic crisis. The Grand Banks reopened some fisheries in the late 1990s, but the cod, the towns in the area and the fishermen are still trying to recover.